This invention relates to a negative film carrier for printing a picture image of a negative film onto a photographic paper, and more particularly, to a type thereof commonly usable for printing 135 and 126 negative films.
135 negative film is generally referred to as "35 mm film", wherein a plurality of perforations are formed along both longitudinal edge portions of the film, and rectangular frame is centrally provided. 126 negative film is generally referred to as "instamatic film" ("instamatic" is the registered trade mark by Eastman Kodak Company), wherein perforations are formed along the one side of longitudinal edge portion and square frame is provided at the displaced position toward the other side of longitudinal edge portion of the film at which no perforation is formed. Used preferably are the print windows having a length of (34.+-.0.1) mm and width of (23.+-.0.1) mm and having length of (28.+-.0.1) mm and width of (28.+-.0.1) mm for trimming picutre images of 135 negative film and 126 negative film, respectively. Such sizes of print windows have been set experimentally and are well known.
Recently, "cine-type" the development method has been provided for developing negative films, wherein a series of negative films spliced together are subject to continuous development treatment. Since the film cartridges of 135 negative film is different from those of 126 negative film, those films are visually distinguishable with each other, so that same size of negative films can be spliced together. (Though in case of 135 films, half size frame (24.times.18) mm and full size frame (24.times.36) mm are not distinguishable with each other.) However, it is possible to splice 135 film with 126 film for development.
Further, several advantages may be pointed out, for example, in terms of operational efficiency at printing, by splicing a series of spliced 135 films with a series of spliced 126 films each being previously subject to development. However, such splicing gives rise to several drawbacks.
For printing the picture image of the negative film onto the photographic paper, a center of a light source, frame and photographic paper should be in alignment with each other. The width of 135 negative film is the same as that of 126 negative film, however, the central point of the frames of 135 and 126 negative films are different. Therefore, relative position control is required in the optical system, photographic paper and guide means for guiding film travel in order to achieve above-mentioned alignment in conformity with the variation of negative films to be printed.
Generally, luminous energy or light quantity control of each of various color lights is performed for printing a picture image of the negative film onto photographic paper in response to detection signal obtained by a photoelectric scanning method which detects picture image information. Scanning is conducted and completed for each of picture image during negative film travel, intermittently moved to a position of the picture image frame at the printing position. In this regard, scanning is preferably started and terminated at the constant position. Since frame size and frame shape of 135 negative film and 126 negative film are different from each other, the scanning position should be changed in conformity with the negative films. Hence, scanning is accomplished at one frame during intermittent travel of the negative film.
According to a conventional photographic printing apparatus, two kinds of negative film carriers are provided for exclusive use each having guide means, a print window frame and scanning means in order to selectively print 135 and 126 negative films. Accordingly, these negative film carriers are exchangingly mounted on the printing apparatus in accordance with the variations of negative films to be printed. Re-setting of the negative film carrier onto the printing apparatus is however rather troublesome in case of printing 135 and 126 negative films in one printing apparatus. Accordingly, it would be almost impossible to splice a series of spliced 135 negative films with a series of spliced 126 negative film amount is small relative to the 135 film amount or vice versa.